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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · ruler · spring · sharp · snap · arm · suit · staff

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — to fit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. snap — to click
  15. suit — clothes
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. staff — a stick
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spring — of water
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. suit — in cards
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com